It’s not only what you eat, but how your food is prepared that determines its health quotient.

That’s the key finding of new research by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that shows people who frequently cook meals at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less.

The findings also suggest that those who frequently cooked at home — six-to-seven nights a week — tend to consume fewer calories on the occasions when they eat out, even if they aren’t intentionally seeking to shed pounds, Medical Xpress reports.

"Obesity is an escalating public health problem that contributes to other serious health issues, including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease," said lead researcher Julia A. Wolfson. "Moving forward, it's important to educate the public about the benefits of cooking at home . . . and help everyone, regardless of how much they cook, make healthier choices when eating out."